NSF Budget Process Starts

Tomorrow morning the fiscal year 1994 budget process begins for the National Science Foundation at a hearing of the House VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. This hearing marks a departure from the traditional order of events for the consideration of the agency’s budget request.

Historically, the release of the president’s budget -- a 1,000+ page document -- is marked by great fanfare at the Office of Management and Budget. During the following days various agencies and departments have their own budget briefings for the media and interested parties. After a few weeks, House appropriations subcommittees hold hearings, to be later followed by their Senate counterparts.

Traditions are being broken this year. President Clinton will release the budget on April 5. However, tomorrow morning at 10:00, NSF officials will appear before the House VA, HUD appropriations subcommittee to discuss their FY 1994 budget request. On March 29, NSF will hold its budget briefing, to be followed on April 1 by the Senate VA, HUD appropriations hearing on the NSF request.

The Office of Management and Budget is allowing this turn of events to speed congressional consideration of the fiscal year 1994 request. Yesterday, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs appeared before the House appropriations subcommittee to discuss the administration’s $1.2 billion requested increase for the VA budget.

There will be a number of things to watch for in the coming week. Of note will be the extent to which the Clinton Administration’s emphasis on science and technology translates into dollars for the agency. Preliminary indications, based on the supplemental request for NSF (see FYI #25) indicate the administration’s desire to increase spending for research. Also of interest will be the reaction of the House appropriations subcommittee members, over half of which are new (see FYI #9) and are thus considering a NSF budget request for the first time. The subcommittee chairman, Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) has also just assumed the chairmanship. During last week’s hearing on NASA management, Stokes demonstrated great awareness about the space agency’s programs (see FYI #33.) Adding an interesting twist to this hearing is the imminent departure of NSF Director Walter Massey, and the impact which this will have on the agency’s fortunes this year.

During the fall of 1992, there was considerable discussion about possible new roles for the NSF. The extent to which the agency has changed its agenda will be shown in its budget request. Of great interest will be the reaction of Senate subcommittee chair Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) to the budget request, and her continued interest in seeing NSF play a more activist role.

For background information on the budget process, see FYI #35.